Hans Van Den Weghe, Janneken van Hulle, Janneken van Rentegem (Anabaptist Martyrs – Burned at the Stake, November 7th 1570)

Hans Van Den Weghe, Janneken van Hulle, Janneken van Rentegem (Anabaptist Martyrs – Burned at the Stake, November 7^th 1570)

Hans Van Den Weghe was imprisoned with two young girls, Janneken van Hulle and Janneken van Rentegem, in Ghent, Belgium. The three were burned together at the Vrijdagsmarkt of Ghent, November 7^th 1570. Janneken van Hulle was led out with a gag in her mouth to prevent her speaking of her faith as she was tied to the stake. The chronicle says of her, as well as the others, that she died peacefully.

The fate of Anabaptists, once arrested, was well known to Hans. To avoid detection they would gather at 4:00 A.M. while it was dark, and stay all day in the study of the Scriptures, until 7:00 A.M. when they could leave after dark. This was the church life shared by Hans, and the two young women arrested with him.

The town from which Hans had come was Ronse in Flanders. This was the same town in which Pieter Titelmans had been named Roman Catholic dean in 1546. He was the official inquisitor in the districts of Flanders and Artois, and was determined to root out all heresy. It was on such an early morning mission that he was riding through the Vrijdagsmarkt of Ghent when Hans was arrested. Van Braght says that around seven o’clock in the morning he was recognized at the fish market by Master Klaes. The dean of Ronse and two officers were riding with Klaes looking for Anabaptists. They arrested Hans and searched him but found only a copy of a hymn. With this evidence he was then placed in Sausselet, the city prison. In a similar way the two young women were arrested and imprisoned in cells near enough to Hans that they were able to converse, and to encourage one another in the faith.

The normal inquisition followed with torture and examination of Hans and the two girls. Then on November 7, they were brought out. Most of their clothes were removed, a gag was put in each one’s mouth, and they were led to the market place. From the crowd were heard the voices of friends----one saying, “Be valiant,” and a sister saying, “Contend valiantly for the truth.” They were each placed at a stake. The executioner strangled them and then burned their bodies.